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Inquiry opened into Luis Suarez's Italian language test (09/22 5:23 am)ROME (AP) -- Authorities are investigating whether Barcelona striker Luis Suarez was illegally helped to pass an Italian language exam last week in order to receive a European passport that could help him transfer to a new club. While Suarez is not under investigation, the director and general director of the Perugia university where the Uruguay forward took the exam are being investigated for allegedly helping him pass the test, Italian reports said Tuesday... -
Analysis: Explaining the EPL's record goal spree (09/22 4:17 am)A stoppage-time goal by Gabriel Jesus did more than just clinch a significant win for Manchester City at Wolverhampton. It capped a record-breaking round of scoring in the English Premier League, too. A total of 44 were scored in a wild second round of games from Saturday to Monday, surpassing the record for a single round since the league was reduced to 20 teams in 1995... -
Pillar, Marquez help Rockies hand Giants costly loss, 7-2 (09/22 2:08 am)SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Kevin Pillar homered against his former team and German Marquez pitched six strong innings to snap a five-game losing streak as the Colorado Rockies stalled San Francisco's playoff pursuit, beating the Giants 7-2 on Monday night... -
LEADING OFF: Rays, Indians try to clinch; Cole, Gray on hill (09/22 1:55 am)A look at what's happening around the majors today: ------ ONE AND DONE Tampa Bay can clinch its first AL East crown since 2010 with a win at the New York Mets or a Yankees loss to Toronto. Blake Snell (4-1, 3.05 ERA), the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, gets the ball as the Rays look to become the second team to lock up a division title during this pandemic-altered season, after Oakland won the AL West on Monday night... -
Monday's Sports in Brief (09/22 1:49 am)MLB OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The Oakland Athletics clinched their first AL West title since 2013 on Monday night with an assist from the rival Houston Astros. Houston lost 6-1 to the Seattle Mariners, ending its three-year reign as division champion and making the A's the first team in the majors to lock up a division crown in this pandemic-shortened season. They will be home for a best-of-three playoff series beginning Sept. 29...
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Tokyo needs to convince sponsors Olympics will really happen (09/22 1:41 am)TOKYO (AP) -- The only thing more difficult than staging next year's Tokyo Olympics in a pandemic might be convincing sponsors to keep their billions of dollars on board in the midst of economic turbulence and skepticism. To make the point this week, IOC President Thomas Bach will join a number of Japanese government and city officials, local organizers, and other top International Olympic Committee leaders in repeating a message they've failed to convey forcefully enough to deep-pocketed sponsors: Trust us, the Tokyo Olympics will open on July 23, 2021.. ... -
Column: Big night for the Raiders and their new hometown (09/22 1:31 am)LAS VEGAS (AP) -- As the light outside faded, the glittering casinos on the Las Vegas Strip came to life Monday evening through the giant lanai doors in the new home of the Raiders. If the backdrop was spectacular, so was the scene on the field. There were the Raiders playing the New Orleans Saints before a national television audience, a moment the late Howard Cosell would have never imagined when Monday Night Football kicked off exactly a half century earlier... -
Unmasked: NFL fines coaches, teams for not covering faces (09/22 1:29 am)NFL coaches thumbed their collective -- and exposed -- noses at the NFL's mask mandate in Week 2. The league responded with hefty fines of $100,000 per coach and $250,000 per club. The first three to get fined were Denver's Vic Fangio, San Francisco's Kyle Shanahan and Seattle's Pete Carroll, according to a person with knowledge of the punishment who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the coaches were not identified... -
Coronavirus takes it slow and steady in Australian football (09/22 1:27 am)BRISBANE, Australia (AP) -- Slowly but surely, the four football sporting codes in Australia are completing their delayed seasons due to coronavirus shutdowns around the country. The two remaining ones are the biggest -- Australian rules football and rugby league. ...
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Crowder, Olynyk see parallels between Spoelstra, Stevens (09/22 1:24 am)LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) -- Jae Crowder will tell anybody who asks that the Miami Heat are extremely well-prepared for whatever comes their way in the Eastern Conference finals. He can say the same about the Boston Celtics, too. Crowder and fellow Heat teammate Kelly Olynyk are both in the East title series for the second time. ... -
Harper hitless, Girardi ejected, Phils lose to Nats 5-1 (09/22 1:06 am)WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bryce Harper was hitless in his return from back stiffness and Philadelphia manager Joe Girardi was ejected in the third inning of a 5-1 loss to the Washington Nationals on Monday night that dropped the Phillies back to .500 and hurt their playoff hopes... -
Mariners beat Astros 6-1, help Athletics claim AL West title (09/22 12:54 am)SEATTLE (AP) -- Marco Gonzales threw eight shutout innings, Evan White broke the game open with a three-run homer in the seventh and the Seattle Mariners beat the Houston Astros 6-1 on Monday night. Seattle's victory clinched the AL West title for Oakland, ending Houston's three-year run atop the division. ...
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Oakland Athletics clinch first AL West title since 2013 (09/22 12:04 am)OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The Oakland Athletics clinched their first AL West title since 2013 on Monday night with an assist from the rival Houston Astros. Houston lost 6-1 to the Seattle Mariners, ending its three-year reign as division champion and making the A's the first team in the majors to lock up a division crown in this pandemic-shortened season. They will be home for a best-of-three playoff series beginning Sept. 29... -
Saints doomed by 129 penalty yards against Raiders (09/22 12:02 am)When Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins hooked his arm around that of Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs on an overthrown, third-down pass, yellow flags flew. A defensive pass interference call extended a late Las Vegas drive that ultimately extinguished New Orleans' comeback hopes on Monday night... -
Raiders open Las Vegas stadium with 34-24 win vs Saints (09/21 11:54 pm)LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders delivered a performance worthy of their fancy new home. Too bad none of their fans were able to see it in person. Carr threw three touchdown passes and the Raiders gave their new fans in Las Vegas plenty to celebrate even if they weren't allowed in the stadium by beating the New Orleans Saints 34-24 on Monday night... -
Gonzales shuts down Astros, Mariners roll to 6-1 victory (09/21 11:17 pm)SEATTLE (AP) -- Marco Gonzales threw eight shutout innings, Evan White broke open a tight game with a three-run homer in the seventh and the Seattle Mariners beat the Houston Astros 6-1 on Monday night. Seattle's victory clinched the AL West title for Oakland, ending Houston's three-year run atop the division and making the A's the first team in the majors to lock up a first-place finish in this pandemic-shortened season... -
Parade to penalty box could prevent Stars Stanley Cup parade (09/21 11:11 pm)EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- There is no telling what a championship parade might look like in a pandemic. If the Dallas Stars don't stop taking so many penalties, they won't have to worry about that. It's hard to win a hockey game taking three penalties in the first 13 minutes, especially against a dangerous power play that can snap the puck around with ease... -
Lowe homers, Rays inch past deGrom, Mets 2-1 despite 16 Ks (09/21 11:09 pm)NEW YORK (AP) -- The Tampa Bay Rays are ready for a party -- and mum on the details. "I'm not saying nothing," closer Nick Anderson said with a laugh. Shouldn't have to wait much longer to see what they have in store. Nate Lowe homered and scored both runs against NL Cy Young Award contender Jacob deGrom, and Tampa Bay overcame 16 strikeouts to move closer to an AL East title by beating the New York Mets 2-1 Monday night... -
Giants' Saquon Barkley out for season with torn ACL (09/21 11:09 pm)EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- A major knee injury has ended Saquon Barkley's season. His career still has a long way to go, New York Giants coach Joe Judge predicted Monday a little more than 24 hours after his star running back tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on a seemingly harmless tackle in a loss to the Chicago Bears... -
AP source: NFL fines 3 coaches, clubs for unmasked coaches (09/21 11:01 pm)A person with knowledge of the punishment tells The Associated Press that at least three NFL head coaches have been fined $100,000 for violating the league's rules that they wear face coverings on the sideline. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the league wasn't announcing specific fines, said Denver's Vic Fangio, San Francisco's Kyle Shanahan and Seattle's Pete Carroll were each docked $100,000. Their teams were fined $250,000 each... -
Comeau injured in Stars' Cup Final Game 2 loss to Lightning (09/21 11:01 pm)EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- Dallas Stars forward Blake Comeau left Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final with an injury after taking a big, high hit from Tampa Bay's Ryan McDonagh in the second period. McDonagh made hard contact with Comeau's right shoulder on the hit. Comeau was slow to get up and immediately went down the tunnel...
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Bullpen, defense preserves Braves 5-4 win over Marlins (09/21 11:01 pm)ATLANTA (AP) -- At the start, it looked like a slugfest. By the end, it came down to defense. The Braves ad-libbed a brilliant double play to snuff out a potential Miami comeback in the ninth, moving Atlanta a step closer to a third straight NL East title with a 5-4 victory over the second-place Marlins on Monday night... -
Lightning beat Stars 3-2 in Game 2, get even in Stanley Cup (09/21 10:59 pm)EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- Nikita Kucherov and the Tampa Bay Lightning got themselves up off the ice to get even in the Stanley Cup Final. After the Lightning got knocked around in Game 1, and Kucherov took some more hard hits early in Game 2, he had the primary assists on power-play goals by Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat in the first period. Kevin Shattenkirk then scored for an early three-goal lead and Tampa Bay held on for a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night... -
Santana's homer lifts Indians to win, brink of playoff berth (09/21 10:50 pm)CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Indians left Progressive Field on the brink of a playoff berth and went home. The party's on hold. In 2020, little goes as planned. "Everything is awkward this year," acting manager Sandy Alomar Jr. said. "So you can add that to it."... -
Royals rally behind stout bullpen to beat Cardinals, 4-1 (09/21 10:38 pm)KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The St. Louis Cardinals were into the Kansas City bullpen by the fourth inning, and Adam Wainwright was looking like a spry youngster rather than a 39-year-old workhorse as the right-hander sliced through the Royals batting order... -
Rookie Alejandro Kirk has HR, 4 hits, Jays beat Yankees 11-5 (09/21 10:38 pm)BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Rookie Alejandro Kirk became the first catcher 21 or younger since Johnny Bench with at least four hits that included two for extra bases, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Yankees 11-5 Monday night to drop New York 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota for home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs... -
Lester cruises, Schwarber responds as Cubs top Pirates 5-0 (09/21 10:13 pm)PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Kyle Schwarber found the quickest way to get back in his manager's good graces: hit the ball hard and deliver in the clutch. Done and done. The Chicago Cubs left fielder responded to a very public benching by first-year manager David Ross by doubling twice and driving in two insurance runs with a shot to the gap in right-center field in the eighth inning to push the Cubs past the reeling Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0 on Monday night... -
Hamlin, Michael Jordan partner on NASCAR team for Wallace (09/21 9:49 pm)CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Denny Hamlin has joined Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan to form a NASCAR team with Bubba Wallace as the driver, a high-profile pairing of a Black majority team owner and the only Black driver at NASCAR's top level. The partnership was announced Monday night in coordinated social media posts by Jordan and Hamlin, with Wallace adding his own comment. The posts showed a picture of Jordan alongside a firesuit-clad Hamlin in a motorhome at a race track... -
Eugenio Suarez homers, surging Reds beat Brewers 6-3 (09/21 9:30 pm)CINCINNATI (AP) -- The Reds aren't wilting in their first exposure to September playoff pressure in many years. Eugenio Suarez hit a two-run homer, Luis Castillo won his fourth straight start, and streaking Cincinnati moved above .500 for the first time since opening day, beating the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 Monday night... -
Arenado goes on injured list with sore left shoulder (09/21 9:24 pm)The Colorado Rockies will chase after a flickering playoff spot without All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado, who was placed on the injured list with a sore left shoulder. Arenado has been hampered this season by inflammation in his AC joint, along with a bone bruise, and the team elected Monday to shut him down. Surgery isn't required but Arenado will need about a month of rest for a shoulder ailment that first started to surface in Oakland at the start of this 60-game season... -
Column: NASCAR's dizzying silly season will change landscape (09/21 8:35 pm)CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- There were two early warning signs that NASCAR was heading into its most unpredictable "silly season" in decades. Former series champion Brad Keselowski accepted a one-year extension with Team Penske and rookie Tyler Reddick renewed with Richard Childress Racing with barely a glance at other options... -
Chastain snags Ganassi Cup ride in busy NASCAR free agency (09/21 8:27 pm)CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Ross Chastain snagged one of the coveted open Cup seats on Monday in a promotion at Chip Ganassi Racing to drive the No. 42 next season. This year marks a particularly active free agency period with heavy turnover expected among a limited number of rides. The No. 42 Chevrolet at Ganassi has been filled by Matt Kenseth, who came out of retirement to drive after Kyle Larson was fired in April... -
Oilers' Draisaitl is first German to win Hart as NHL MVP (09/21 8:23 pm)EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- The Stanley Cup Final is in Edmonton, and Oilers star Leon Draisaitl made history Monday night. Only it had more to do with his home country than his home arena. Draisaitl became the first German player to win the Hart Trophy as MVP after leading the league in scoring with 110 points in 71 games. He also won the Ted Lindsay Award for most outstanding player as voted by peers... -
Aranda optimistic Baylor will play Big 12 opener vs Kansas (09/21 8:21 pm)WACO, Texas (AP) -- Baylor coach Dave Aranda expressed optimism Monday that his team will be able to play its Big 12 opener against Kansas on Saturday after having to call off a game last weekend because of positive COVID-19 tests that affected a position group... -
Veteran Sherpa guide who set Everest record dies at age 72 (09/21 8:06 pm)KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) -- A veteran Nepalese Sherpa guide who was the first person to climb Mount Everest 10 times has died at age 72 after a long illness, family members said. Ang Rita, among the first Sherpa guides to receive international fame for his accomplishments, had suffered from health problems for many years and had not climbed any mountains since setting the Everest record in 1996...
Pro Sports Schedule
Tuesday, Sept. 22
NFL
No games scheduled.
MLB
- Philadelphia at Washington, 2:05 p.m.
- Chicago White Sox at Cleveland, 5:10 p.m.
- N.Y. Yankees at Toronto, 5:37 p.m.
- Milwaukee at Cincinnati, 5:40 p.m.
- Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh, 6:05 p.m.
- Miami at Atlanta, 6:10 p.m.
- Tampa Bay at N.Y. Mets, 6:10 p.m.
- Baltimore at Boston, 6:30 p.m.
- Detroit at Minnesota, 6:40 p.m.
- St. Louis at Kansas City, 7:05 p.m.
- Houston at Seattle, 8:10 p.m.
- L.A. Angels at San Diego, 8:10 p.m.
- Texas at Arizona, 8:10 p.m.
- Oakland at L.A. Dodgers, 8:40 p.m.
- Colorado at San Francisco, 8:45 p.m.
- Philadelphia at Washington, 2nd game
NBA
At Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
- L.A. Lakers vs. Denver, 8 p.m.
NHL
No games scheduled.
MLS
Mo matches scheduled.
WNBA
- Minnesota vs. Seattle, 6 p.m.
- Connecticut vs. Las Vegas, 8 p.m.